Friday, July 25, 2008

The Thought That Counts

It's the thought that counts!

How often we hear that phrase or laughingly pass it over our own lips.

The phrase echoed twice in my heart yesterday !

Earlier in the week, Vic and I passed a farmer’s corn stand beside the road and planned to stop there on our way home with the intent of enjoying corn on the cob for dinner.

Of course we forgot!!

So yesterday when I went shopping with my daughter , I asked her to stop on the way home so I could buy some of the corn.
Late afternoon, my husband called me to say he was leaving work…. Did I need anything from the store? I told him I had been to the grocery store but didn’t find any good oranges and would love some. He said he’d stop and buy some.
I happened to be outside when he came home within the hour. He opened the car door and said.. “What was I supposed to bring?”
I answered with a smile , “Oranges.”
He groaned and replied, “Well, I brought corn!!”

Seeing I now had a goodly supply of freshly picked corn cobs I decided to run some over to my friend across the street.
I told her my corn story and she laughed and told me a story in return.
That morning she had awakened and found that her husband had left early for work without their customary good bye kiss. She text messaged him reprimanding him for leaving without so much as a good bye or a kiss !!
He texted back…”But I took out the garbage!”

It’s the thought that counts! We are so quick to say it , but are we so quick to receive it?

Do we stop long enough when someone misses the mark we set for them to consider that what was in their heart was everything we could hope for ?

Aren’t you glad that God does not judge us on our failures? Or even on our successes ?

No, with Him it is always the thought that counts. He judges the heart.

That is a blessed thing if our hearts are right before Him, but if we think we can hide from Him what the thoughts and intentions of our heart are … there is no where to hide.

King David wisely admonished his son Solomon to serve God with a loyal heart and a willing mind. As long as he did, the Lord would always be with him.

Then with fatherly wisdom - gleaned from his own experience - he warned Solomon that there was no point in trying to hide anything from God because… “ …the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts..” (I Chron.28:9)

As King David had learned, to know that with God it is the thought that counts, is either a man's comfort or his fear.

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8 comments:

Nicki said...

How true. I have to be very careful of this with my sons. I am very quick to tell them how they are doing something wrong rather than being thankful and encouraging that they are doing it. Hope you have a great day and enjoyed the corn.

Strider said...

Amen! "Good thought!"

Trish said...

Wow...should have read that yesterday before I berated my son. I DID say I was sorry but I sure should have stopped myself and thot about the 'intent' and not the 'result'.

Thanks for the post

Judy said...

It's the thought that counts...I like that! I'm not always so good at expressing my thoughts.

Lovella ♥ said...

Such fun little stories Julie. Enjoy that fresh picked corn.

I'm sure I'll be remembering the little lesson!

charlotte mgcc said...

well julie, you sure will enjoy corn for awhile.

here is a thought.........
we judge others by what they Do and us by our intentions...
you can't build a reputation on good intentions.......or that perhaps becomes your reputation.
i know for my self i am always meaning to do this or that and forget or don't bother.
you are 100 percent right that God knows our heart and that is what matters.
i love your posts they are always so inspirational.

Anonymous said...

You teach these lessons in such a way that we'll never forget...and I'll always think of corn when I try to be thoughtful, considerate, and encouraging.

Thanks, Julie!!

Strider said...

Hey Julie, Check out my blog for Tuesday. I tagged you if you are interested. If not, no big deal. Strider